Automatic reverse for player pianos



v M. LOWENT-HAL. AUTOMATIC REVERSE PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED MAY14, 1920;. RENEWED APR. 3; 1922- Patented Nbv. 28, 1922..

INVENTOR I Ill .1111! 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Martin Lowenthat ATTORNEY I WITNESS:

M. LOWENTHAL. AUTOMATIC REVERSE FOR PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED MAY14, 1 920. RENEWED APR. 3. 1922.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Martin Lowenchal INVENTQR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

M. L OWEN THAL, AUTOMATIC REVERSE FDR PLAYER PIKNOS. APPLICATION FILEDMAY 14, I920- HENEWED RH-3,1922- 1, 7, Pat ntednov; 28,1922.

INVENTOR' O WITNESS: MT RNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. p,

MARTIN LOWENTHAL, OF EDGEWOOD, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC REVERSE FOR PLAYER IE'IANOS.

Application filed May 14, 1920, Serial No. 381,379. Renewed April3,1922. Serial No. 549,166.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN LOWENTHAL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Edgewood, in the county of Harford and State of Maryland,have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Reverses forPlayer Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to player pianos and has for its object theprovision of means whereby upon the completion of the playing of a rollthe reversing mechanism will be automatically actuated whereby to effectrewinding of the roll so that tearing'thereoi from the core will beprevented, it being well known that'frequently operators carelessly failto stop when a roll is ended.

I An important object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich does not in any way interfere with the manual control but which isauxiliary thereto.

An additional object is the provision of means'of this character whichwill be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efiicient in use,positive in action, durable in service, and a general improvement in theart.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a portion of the mechanismof a player piano and showing my device in applied position,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the essential features, showing the parts inplaying position,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the parts in reverseposition,

Figure 4 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pneumatic,

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through. the tracker bar, and

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one end of the operating rod.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. the letter A designates thespool box of the mechanism of a player piano and while the device isshown as applied to player mechanism of a well known type it will beunderstood in advance that it may be adapted for use in connection -withplayer mechanisms of other types The letter B designates the spool, Cdesignates The sprocket J about which the chain E is trained is looseupon the shaft D and is locked with respect to the shaft by means ofpins K projecting from the collar G and engagingsimilar pins on thesprocket when the shaft D is in such position that the gears H and I areout of mesh. The letter L designates a sprocket secured upon the shaft Dand driven by a chain M which is driven by the motor mechanismillustrated generally at N. The shaft N carries a sprocket 0 about whichthe chain E-is trained and the shaft N supports and engages one end ofthe roll carrying the note sheet. Connected with the lever F is a link Pwith which is ordinarily pivotally connected a lever Q connected with alink R which is in turn connected with the hand lever S which ismanually movable by the operator whereby to effect movement of the leverF. hen the lever S is at one limit of its moi'ement, that is in positionso that the parts will be in playing position, the gears H and I are inmesh, the collar K is retracted from the sprocket J. the sprocket J isconsequently idle and the shaft D and spool B are ro-. tated by achain'M driving the sprocket L. When it is desired to rewind a roll the leverS is moved to the other limit of its movement whereby the lever F willbe moved to rotate the shaft D so as to move the pinion. H outofengagement with the gear I. At the same time the pins K or the collarengage the pins on the sprocket J and cause rotation of the shaft Nthrough the instrumentality of the chain E and sprocket O. This rotationof the shaft N results in rewinding of the roll.

Very frequently a player neglects to shift the lever S at the end of aroll and the consequence is that the roll is torn. In order to avoidthis I provide an automatic control device which comprises a pneumatic10 mounted at some convenient location with respect to the playermechanism and,

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from a hole in one end of the tracker oar C. The nipple 12 is connectedby a flexible tube 16 with the suction bellows T of the mechanism, Thepneumatic 10 carries an arm 17 which is forked to provide prongs i8 andthe distance between these prongs sufficient to receive the arm V Theoperation. of my attachment is. as follows:

When the player mechanism is in the playing' position above desc 'ihechthe pneumatic 10 is in expanded position and the arm Q, is inits extremeright hand position engaging between the prongs 18., Then the playingofthe rollis completed and the hole 15 in the tracker her is uncoveredby registration therewith ot' a corresponding hole in the note sheet airmay pass through the hole 15 whereupon the pneumatic 10 Will collapse orcontact which Will result in movement or the arm 17 to the left whichwill result ininoving the link P and consequently the lever F into thereverse position" It is of course obvious that this re verse positionmay be effected by moving the lever S manually Withoutin any Wayinterfer-lug with theautoniatic control.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will beapparent that Lhaye thus provided a very simple and efficient device forautomatically controlling 7 menses the reverse mechanism of a playerpiano so as to avoid tearing of the note sheets.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is of course to be understood that reserve the rignt tomake such changes in the term, constructiom and arrangement of parts asWill not depart front the spirit, of the in 'r'ntion or the scope of thesuhjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a player piano mechanism, the co1nbination'with the tracker bar andreverse control. lever and the noteeheet oi? a pneumatic connected withthe i bellows of the n ClldIllf-ill'l and connected with a nippie e" Aling from a hole in the tracker oar, said pneumatic being normally e Lthe note sheet heingprovided at its 1th a hole adapted to register Witla end r.

hole in the tracker 'har whereupon said pneumatic will contrach andmeans con nected with the pneumatic and the verse lever whereby uponsaid contraction the control lever will be shifted tocits reverseposition, said means comprising an arm con- .itiected by a lingWlllllllllG reverse lever and a forked arm carried by the pneumatic andging said arm. n testimony whereof: I afiix my signature.

MARTIN LGWENTHAL

